


Of Embers and Iridescence

by DracoPotter80



Series: YouTuber Ships [2]
Category: YouTube Boys
Genre: And a Ranger, Daniel is a sexy beast, I WANT THIS TO BE LONGER, I really like this concept but I don't write it that well., Joey Graceffa/Daniel Preda - Freeform, Joey is struggling with his sexuality, Like hopefully really slow, Lumen is Glow in Latin if you wanted to know, M/M, Magic, No wordy smut, The longest story I've ever wrote was like 14 chapters, This is a kinda cool story I think, This is set before he came out and met Daniel, Warning: Slow Burn, apart of a series, just references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-06-09 06:18:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6893509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DracoPotter80/pseuds/DracoPotter80
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joey Graceffa is a youtuber that struggles with his sexuality. Well that's all he is until he's transported to a world of magic and mischief, where he meets a certain steely-eyed Ranger. What happens when he finds out he's more unique than he thought? And what will happen when said Ranger makes him question himself in ways he couldn't even imagine?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm Joey Graceffa?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Leave a comment on what you think! I need a beta so let me know if you want to be one :) Also this is very rough and I haven't gotten the chance to really work out the kinks but I was so excited I just had to post it as soon as it was done, so don't judge too harshly!

“Okay guys next question!” Joey cheers as he scrolls four times through his twitter feed, then stops at a random question. 

“Dear Joey, I love you so much!” he reads. 

“Aw love you too!” 

“Are you gay or do you just act… that way..” he stops reading the question as frown forms on his face. The question wasn’t new to him, he had been asked by fans on multiple occasions to which he replied no, he was straight. But as of late he himself had been asking that question, to which he didn’t know how to answer. 

Joey had always known he was different, he liked to wear makeup, be flamboyant and flirtatious, and make movies with his best friend. Now these things don’t necessarily mean that any man who liked that stuff was gay but he always just felt… different from his fellow males. While in school when all the boys would take about what nice boobs Maria Carbonell had all he could think about was how nice their asses were. At first he thought it was normal, until he told his best girl friend and she said it wasn’t. Luckily she was okay with it, and dismissed it from her mind upon his request. 

“I thought that’s what I was supposed to say, I don’t actually care. I just wanted to fit in with the guys,” he had said. She seemed to drop it and never spoke of it again, but that was the first day Joey actually started to think that he might possibly be something other than straight. 

A blinking red light reminded Joey that he was recording still and he immediately snapped back to attention. He smiled as brightly as he could.

“I actually get asked this question a lot, but no I am not gay, not even slightly. Alrighty guys that’s all for today don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe good damn bye!” with that he shuts off his camera and slumps in his chair. He can just edit the long pause out later, but for right now he just wanted to crawl into bed. So that’s exactly what he did; as soon as he was beneath the covers and his head was on the pillow he was out like a light. 

Joey woke up to the wind tickling his nose and the distinct smell of smoke, he was alert in an instant, thinking that somehow his house had caught on fire. But instead of his opaque ceilings when he opened his eyes he was assaulted with a bright blue sky tinged with red; and a figure standing above him with a sword drawn under his neck. 

“Who are you and where did you come from?” The shadow asked. The way joey was lying and the shadow on his front made it difficult to see any distinct features, other than his voice indicating him as male Joey couldn’t tell a thing about him. But a couple of times he could have sworn he saw something swirling in the man’s veins. 

“I asked you a question Pig, who are you and where did you come from?” he asked again, pushing the blade closer to Joey throat. His adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he fought to find his voice. 

“I’m Joey Graceffa, I’m from LA?” He replied with a voice like gravel. It felt like he had eaten a handful of sand with nothing to wash it down; soon enough he started to cough violently. He rolled over and fought to sit up to get the grit out of his throat but just as he was about to stand a boot came crashing down onto his back and he was pushed back into the grass. 

“I didn’t say you get up,” he snarled, leaning down farther, knocking the wind out of Joey. “Where is this L A, I have never heard of such a place,” he says speculatively. How could this guy not have heard of LA? Obviously this was a cosplayer but seriously, Joey wasn’t playing nor in the mood to be bossed around by some guy in tights. 

“Hey I am not playing with you right now, let me up so I can go home. Go play with some of your other friends or something.” Joey growls out from on the ground, he manages to get his hands on either side of his body and pushes himself up, knocking the mystery man’s foot off his back. 

“Playing, I assure you I am not playing. Now speak before I cut out your tongue.”

“Really? Cut out my tongue before I can even tell you? How does that makes sense?” Joey retorts, brushing the dirt and grass from his brown pants and tunic… wait what? The last thing Joey remembered was where his jeans and t-shirt; not a tunic. He looks up and is stunned when he see’s the man for the first time.

The first thing he notices was his his hair; thick brown locks that looked soft and screaming to be run through, the next was his lips; they were round, full and pink surrounded by a light dusting of facial hair, and the last thing he saw was his striking grey eyes; they were like sleek steele and his gaze could slice through a man’s head in one glance. Joey couldn’t help but shrink under his watch, not only from his overwhelming beauty, but from the pure power radiating off of him. 

“Don’t question me! I am Daniel Preda, the infamous ranger and you will respect me,” He growls, once more getting in Joey’s face, his breath ghosting on his cheek. He forgot to breathe for a moment, the scent of his breath was distinct and fresh; mint with a twinge of orange. And if the smell of his breath wasn’t good enough the musk that surrounded the man was enticing, it was heady with sweat, dirt and smoke, yet somehow Joey didn’t find it revolting as he should have; instead he was intoxicated. 

Joey finally looks in his eyes and what he finds knocks the wind out of him for what felt like the millionth time, It seems that it wasn’t only Joey that was affected by the close proximity. The man’s eyes, Daniel’s eyes, were darkened to the point where only a sliver of grey could be seen and they held a different danger now, lust. Just as Joey leaned in closer he shot back and drew his sword once again, gone was the wild animal he had seen moments before; the grey eyed ranger was back. 

It was then Joey finally saw what he thought he had seen earlier, a red fire flowed through his veins, spiraling then disappearing beneath the cloth on his arms. Upon realizing Joey had seen this, he shoved the collar of the sleeve back down to his hands. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t..” Joey started but stopped abruptly when he finally looked at his surroundings, It wasn’t just a light effect he had seen when he opened his eyes; the sky was darkened with red and orange, mostly because the tree’s in the forest he was outside of were on fire. The trunks of the tree’s remained intact yet the place where the leaves were supposed to be were aflame, licking towards the sky. Fear rose in Joey’s chest as he took in the sight.

“Fire! There’s a fire! We have to put it out,” Joey yelped as he shook Daniel and turned him towards the raging pyre. Daniel looked down at the man shaking him, had he not been here before? The fire had been burning for centuries, there was a reason it was called The Inferno Forest. 

“You are not from here are you?” Daniel asks as he continues to panic, it was Joey’s turn to be confused, how was he not freaking out when they could be killed any second?

“No but come one the forest is on fire!” he screams again. Daniel grabs Joey’s hands and drags him towards the forest. “What are you doing, NO!” He says just as Daniel throws his hand into the flame. Joey starts screaming, waiting for the immense pain to start but it doesn’t, instead it feels as though someone is running silk through his fingers. He opens one eye and finds that indeed his hand was submerged in the fire but he felt nothing. Slowly Daniel gave him back his hand and Joey inspected it, looking for burn marks that were not there. 

“How…?” he starts to ask but Daniel clamps his hand over his mouth. Joey raises his eyebrows and licks Daniel’s hand, with a yelp he releases Joey just the slap the other one back again, bringing his finger to his pursed mouth. Joey rolled his eyes but listened and stayed quiet, soon enough a distant laughing could be heard and many footsteps thundered in the relative quiet of the forest.

Daniel mouthed the words “Stay here” to Joey and made the same quiet motion as he stepped out of the brush he had led Joey to and in front of a group of burly red-headed men.

“Ahh Daniel Preda, the miraculous Ranger. Fuck any village boys lately?” said the largest man in front as all of the others started to laugh around him. 

“Unfortunately no Garelf, I was too busy fucking your wife.” He hissed, Immediately the men quieted down and looks of arrogance turned to fury. 

“Why you little…” Garelf lunged for Daniel but he was too slow and managed to sidestep to avoid him; leaving him to fall face first into the orange grass, yes that’s right, orange grass as well as a large rock; knocking him out instantly. 

The rest of the four men were on Daniel but he took two out simultaneously by knocking their heads together. The remaining two looked at each other then charged, ready to murder. The first one, a fat man with copper hair swung his fist towards his jaw but Daniel intercepted it and flicked his wrist forward, eliciting a pop and scream from the man. He dropped to the ground holding his hand as Daniel snapped his fingers and a red burst shot from his fingertips encasing his body in what looked to be a force field. The next man was on him in an instant but he shot the same light from his fingertips, stopping the figure mid-air. 

“Now gentlemen I really didn’t want to do this but… oh wait; yes I did” he laughs as he swings his fingers together, effectively making the goons bonk heads as he had made the others do. They both dropped to the ground with a loud oompf, groaning upon impact. 

It was then that Joey emerged from the bushes and followed Daniel away from the men and out of the forest, a look of shock on his face. “How did you do that?” he asked incredulously. Once again Daniel squinted in confusion, how did this man not know about his powers? Everyone has them, surely he knew this. 

“You don’t know about Lumen?” Daniel answered in form of a question, of course. 

“What the hell is Lumen? Is he a person?” It’s then that Joey starts panicking, he’s by a forest that is literally on fire, with a beautiful man that has red stuff coming out of his fingers; he’s so not in LA anymore.

“It is my powers, every person has them. Have you hit your head or something?” Daniel grabs Joey wrist, trying to show him his own powers but when he lifts up his sleeves Daniel sees a light blue glow within his veins, a glow no one has seen in a millenia. 

Joey gasps and grabs his arm, that wasn’t there before. A smile spreads across his face, he has powers! He extends his arm like he had seen Daniel do but frowned when nothing happened. Why couldn’t he do it?

“Joseph Graceffa, where did you come from?” Daniel demanded, the tough demeanor once again appearing in his face. 

“America?” Joey says as he shrinks back once again, clutching his arm close to his chest, he obviously had an American accent, just like he did. How could be not tell? 

“You are lying, there’s no such thing as an ‘America’, so Where. Did. You. Come. From?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Look Daniel Prey… Something. I told you where I came from it's not my fault you don't believe me,” Joey says angrily. What's with this guy?

“It’s Preda you swine,” Daniel bites back. “It is not a matter of me not believing you, you say you come from a place that does not exist. Which means you have something to hide,” The sword is brought back under Joey’s chin. This time instead of Joey being intimidated he simply swipes the sword away with his hand. 

“Okay honestly I don’t have ‘something to hide’,” Joey imitates as he uses air quotes, “I’m just as confused as you are. One minute I’m at home in my bed the next I’m laying in the dirt next to freaking BURNING FOREST with a sword at my neck.” By the end of his little rant Joey was out of breath, even if this guy was hot… no not hot…. He’s a dude…. Even if he was intimidating he was being stupid. 

“Well what are you doing Embrand? Most commoners don’t come this far into the Inferno Forest without some intention,” Daniel was taken aback by the fact this pig just hit away his blade so carelessly and seemed to have no clue about the pure power humming within his iridescent veins. Everyone knew the stories of the fierce warrior turned king with Ice in his blood. His name was Arden Shields, and he was one of the most powerful warlocks in all the three realms. 

He had created the town of Frosteria, named after his husband Randolf Frosteria. It was a thriving town that sold ice crystals and precious fur pelts, then one day the ruler of Embrand decided he had enough of Shield’s open-mindedness to sin, namely his marriage to Frosteria and had the town burned to the ground. At the time Shields was away in the town of Gravel, the home of the earth warlocks and had no way to help his people. Frosteria burned with it’s namesake and when Shields came back, he had killed himself out of agony. All people that remained with blue veins were publically executed and soon the race and town had died off, their story being told from generation to generation until finally it became a legend. 

Daniel had the heard the story many times growing up in the castle, knowing full well it was true and not just a tale. His thrice great grandfather had been the one to order the attack, and his own father shared the same ideals all kings before him had. Sin was not to be tolerated, and if anyone was caught partaking in anything that even remotely went against the ideals of the town, they were to be executed. That’s why Daniel knew he would surely be murdered if anyone found out about his secret, and had escaped before it had come to light, changing his name and traveling as far as Embrand’s limits would take him. 

The people of Frosteria were so incredibly powerful, although never as powerful as their king. Their lumen was a deep ocean blue while Shield’s was pale and opulent, no one else in all of time had that same color lumen, until now. 

“How do you have this Joseph?” He demands, grabbing Joey’s arm and tracing his veins. 

“One, It’s Joey. Two, I don’t know! I didn’t even know what this Lumen thing was until just now!” He says yanking his arm back. “I mean, I can’t even do magic like you can,” he whispers, casting his eyes down to his boots. It shouldn’t make him this upset, it’s not like he always dreamed about having magic… Oh right. And now here he is in a place that freaking on fire with a guy that picked up another guy without even touching him and he can’t even make a spark. 

“Of course not, you have a very old and rare Ice Magic, we are in Embrand, the fire realm, your magic is weaker here. And if you really are as clueless as you claim, then you are a novice warlock and haven’t even honed your magic yet.” Daniel answers, his tone making it seem like what he was saying was obvious. As if Joey hadn’t just popped up out of nowhere, from a complete other world and probably time. 

“Well soooorrrry,” Joey snaps. God what is with this guy? Is he always such an ass? Maybe those guys he just beat up actually had a good reason to. “Like I said, one minute I was laying in my bed on EARTH and I wake up to see a freaking RED sky and a forest that’s on FIRE, THEN there’s this like super hot guy shoving a sword down my throat! I don’t know anything more about what’s happening then you do!” He huffs, breaths coming faster and faster. He was just so confused and scared, all he wanted to do was go home and go back to sleep. Not a second later he felt his throat starting to close up and panic clawing at his chest, he was having a panic attack. Fear was setting in and he felt his legs begin to shake, he felt the world begin to spin and his eyes go in and out of focus. 

“I… Don’t…. Know… What.. to…” and suddenly Joey passed out… a pair of arms catching him just before his head hit the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short and I'm sorry but I literally had no inspiration for the longest time and I REALLY wanted to get a chapter up to you guys after so many amazing comments <3 Thank you everyone for your patience with how long it took me to update and for the lovely comments, reading them made my day! 
> 
> Tell me what you like, what you didn't like, what could be better, something! I beg of you! It makes my creative juices flow...
> 
> Thank you again!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Again, let me know what you think!! This is apart of a YouTuber Ship series, the other ship is only currently Dan and Phil or the Phandom. More will come with time hopefully.


End file.
